A permutation puzzle is a type of puzzle in which parts are moved around the puzzle in a limited number of ways. Depending on the number of parts and the restrictions on movement, the puzzle has a number of possible configurations, or positions. The higher the number of possible positions, the more difficult it will be to solve the puzzle, in general.

One of the oldest and best-known permutation puzzles is the Towers of Hanoi, which consists of three sticks and seven tiles on one of the sticks, stacked in descending size. The second and third stick are left empty. It is the goal of the game to put all tiles on the third stick, moving one tile at a time, where a bigger tile can never be on top of a smaller tile. This takes 127 moves.

The Rubik's Cube has an astonishing number of 43 quintillion possible positions, one of which is the solved case.

It's possible to create your own permutation puzzle. You could make a computer simulation of a known puzzle or invent a new computer permutation puzzle. Or you could create a real life puzzle. Most are made from plastic, and are hard to fabricate without specialized tools. It is noteworthy that the first Rubik's cube was actually made of wood!